The new First Direct advert: featuring a platypus | Advertising

Reading this on mobile? Click here to view Branch-free financial dudes First Direct style themselves as "the unexpected bank". Their David Brent-esque press release actually refers to "the un-bank like nature of the brand". Chilled-out entertainers, yeah? So here, rather than represent themselves with lions or black horses, they've plumped for a duck-billed platypus. There's

The hard sellAdvertising This article is more than 10 years old

The new First Direct advert: featuring a platypus

This article is more than 10 years old'A zebra trotting down the street! All shot in black-and-white! Oh, cock off back to film school and fantasise about making OK Go videos'


Reading this on mobile? Click here to view

Branch-free financial dudes First Direct style themselves as "the unexpected bank". Their David Brent-esque press release actually refers to "the un-bank like nature of the brand". Chilled-out entertainers, yeah? So here, rather than represent themselves with lions or black horses, they've plumped for a duck-billed platypus. There's probably a satirical gag to be made here involving "nest eggs" and "a large bill". The semi-aquatic mammal in question is called Barry. Barry! Brilliant! That's like a normal bloke's name! Well, in a middle-aged copywriter's head; nobody's actually been christened Barry since 1974. "I like things a bit offbeat," says Barry. Which is like describing yourself as "a bit mad, me". Translation: tryhard tosspot.

To hammer home the message, Barry waddles past sights straight out of a stoned student's idea of surrealism. A beatboxing sparrow! A zebra trotting down the street! All shot in black-and-white! Oh, cock off back to film school and fantasise about making OK Go videos. Barry speaks in a deadpan northern accent, intended to evoke a lovable Corrie character or a droll 6 Music DJ. Barry collects vinyl because he's retro. Barry hitches a ride on an old gent's mobility scooter, but because it's all so "offbeat" the dapper old gent is black! With dreads! Oh Barry, you patronisingly tokenistic twattypus. Barrypus ends up in a pub because he's such a bloody laddypus. Then lays an egg, even though he's male. Details, First Direct, details. It's a textbook case of "meerkating". Aren't we cute and lovable? Nope, sorry, you're total bankers. Deal with it, squares.

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